NCI Eyes Some Budget Gains for FY2007

BETHESDA, Maryland—Congress finally resolved the current federal budget in mid-February, 4 months after fiscal year (FY) 2007 began, and raised the National Institutes of Health's funding to $28.9 billion, an increase of $619.5 million (2%) over its FY2006 appropriations. Although Congress kept the National Cancer Institute's budget at $4.79 billion, the Institute gained approximately $42.8 million in additional dollars because it will not have to contribute to the NIH common fund this year. These dollar gains plus money from other sources should increase NCI's available dollars by $46 million, NCI director John E. Niederhuber, MD, said at a meeting of the National Cancer Advisory Board.

The money should enable NCI to provide $2.022 billion to fund 5,188 research project grants in FY2007, 16 more than in FY2006, he said. Noncompeting grants will fall to 3,878, a decrease of 14 from last fiscal year, and these grants will have no inflationary adjustments built into them. Competing grants will rise to 1,310, an increase of 30.

In his proposed budget for FY2008, President Bush asked Congress to provide NIH $28.9 billion and NCI $4.782 billion, decreases of $511 million and $11 million, respectively, from their newly approved FY2007 funding.